Encounters
by SnowyRefuge
Summary: "I don't normally write, but that boy, his touch, it felt so real… Maybe a little too real." NxOC with a side of Ferriswheelshipping.
1. First Encounter

**My first story on this account! Yayz! OK, just letting you guys know; the first chapter is very strange, and N will seem out of character. But, at the end of the story, this scene should make sense. Hopefully… Maybe…**

**Also, no Bianca or Cheren. This time around, all we've got are my OC, Touko, and Touya. Yes, Touko ****_and_**** Touya. We'll get to that in fututre chapters.**

** Summary: "I don't normally write, but that boy, his touch, it felt so real… Maybe a little too real." NxOC with a side of Ferriswheelshipping.**

**Encounters**

**By: Snowy Refuge**

**Disclaimer: Pokémon and all of the characters in Pokémon (N, Touko, Touya, etc.) belong to Game Freak, not me. I only own Noelle.**

**First Encounter**

**_Early autumn; 1:30 PM; Just outside of Accumula Town_**

I lay down in the middle of the grassy field with Snivy sleeping serenely on top of my stomach, my hand draped gently over his small green body in a relaxed manner with my head resting on the roots of a tree. Although my Pokémon was currently taking a nap, I was still wide awake, watching with dark gray eyes as a small yellowish-green leaf drifted down from its canopy and landed on the green ground without a sound. Through the dense leaves overhead, I could just barely see the open blue sky overhead, and make out the white outline of a cloud floating a little ways off.

Snivy and I had spent the entire day and night walking, hoping to get a chance to arrive in Accumula Town as soon as possible, and so we had been very tired as a result. We decided to rest here for the time being, seeing as it seemed like a nice place to put ourselves back in order for about an hour or two. It was nice, too; the breeze blew by, cooling us down from the heat that was leftover from the summer, which had only just retired into autumn but a mere month ago, and the scenery was quite beautiful, with flowers of every color, lush, overly green grass, and a strong tree standing in the middle of the field proudly.

The only issue is that I didn't pack enough food to get us town when we left. I had thought for sure that I had enough to get us to Accumula Town, but apparently I had miscalculated my sense of direction, and we became lost after a few hours of being out in the wilderness.

I turned my head to the side, looking at the sea of wildflowers that sat under the tree. One of the flowers closest to me was a daffodil with a long stem that made it stand over the others like a tower. I couldn't really say that I've ever particularly liked daffodils- they _were_ weeds, after all- but I've always enjoyed blowing on them and watching the seeds fly everywhere. It might have just been the way that the white balls of fluff were carried off into the wind, but I've always found it to be a calming sight.

I wanted to reach out and blow the seeds off of the daffodil, but I knew that during the process, I would most likely wake up Snivy, and he looked so peaceful in his sleep… No, I should just let him rest a little more. Snivy has been working so hard lately, even though we only met each other a little under a week ago. I'm only grateful that we've been able to get along well so far…

I laid my head back down on the tree root, feeling a slight pain in my neck from resting it there so long, and listening to the growling of my stomach. I really need to go and hunt down some berries when Snivy wakes up, but then again, I don't know what is and isn't edible in this area, so I could end up poisoning the both of us.

At this thought, I sigh heavily, and Snivy begins to stir in his sleep. I remove my hand from its head and freeze as the small Pokémon starts to twist and turn over my stomach, trying to get into a more comfortable position, until he finally stops moving and settles back on my chest. With a small smile on my face, I stroked the top of his head gently as he began to settle back into his slumber. If Snivy wants to sleep, let him sleep. I think he's deserved that right by now, considering how many battles we've been through lately.

Besides, I don't want to have to tell Snivy that we're out of food. I still don't know my Pokémon quite well enough to be sure if he'll be mad at me for that.

I turned my head so that I was staring at the daffodil again, watching it sway with the wind every now and then. A few of its fluffy white seeds broke loose and floated out into the air. My eyes followed the seeds as they danced in the wind and passed the world as they moved.

It seemed as if they were passing everything: all of the flowers, the cloud out in the sky, the one tree that Snivy and I were sleeping under, that boy over there, that really big rock just outside the field…

_Wait_. I pull my eyes back from the flying seeds. _Boy_?

Yes, there was a boy standing out in the field, with long grassy green hair tied in a ponytail, a black hat sitting on top of his head, and skin so pale that he almost looked ill. With the sun shining down upon him, he almost looked like a part of the landscape, as if he belonged there amongst the trees and flowers.

He was also staring directly at me.

I blinked my half-lidded eyes at the sight of him, trying to figure out if the boy was merely an illusion. I hadn't seen anyone in that spot a moment ago, and I doubted that anyone would be able to sneak over there without my noticing since I had an unusually good sense of hearing. It was almost as if he had suddenly materialized from the air itself. That would explain why he looked so fitting to the outside world.

He certainly looked real enough, and from what I could see, he was solid, as well.

I looked around me for a moment, trying to see if there was any particular reason that he was staring at me. It couldn't have been that I was in any way _attractive_ to him: my eyes were generally a pain for most people to look at since they were almost constantly half-lidded, and I didn't have any particular… appeal that I knew of, unless most guys count a flat chest and aggression attractive. On a few rare occasions, people would even mistake me for a guy because of how I dress like a military sergeant and keep my hair at a modest length. I was fifteen, and to that day, there was only one person that had ever had a crush on me. And even then, it was a girl who happened to think that I was a guy.

It had taken about twenty minutes of explaining and a long anatomy lecture before she finally understood why I had rejected her.

So the possibility that he thought I was pretty was a definite no-go. But then what was it?

_Is it because I'm lying down on the ground with a tree root as a pillow?_ Well, where else would he expect me to sleep, on a rock? _Does he think that the way I dress is strange?_ I was fairly certain that cargo pants, a tank top, and a long sleeve-less coat weren't _that_ unusual. _Or maybe I have a leaf on top of my head or something._

But when I reached up to touch my hair, I couldn't find any twigs or leaves in it. There was a knot or two stuck in there, but that was perfectly normal for someone that had been traveling for a few days.

I looked back at the boy with a blatant glare and scoffed at him, not noticing my Pokémon begin to stir in his sleep. "You know, it's rude to stare at people like that."

The boy's eyebrows rose at my comment, and he stared at me for another moment before his pale lips curved upwards, into a small smile, and he shook his head from side to side, causing some of his hair to fall all around his face. A small string of giggles escaped his mouth, wrapped in a soft voice that would have sent the hearts of many fluttering about.

I sputtered angrily at this strange reaction, and could feel my own mouth twist into a deep frown. People that laugh at me don't normally get away with it that easily. "Hey, what do you think you're laughing at, buddy?"

With another amused shake of the head, the boy began to walk towards me, just as I began to feel Snivy rolling around on top of my body. I could feel my heart constrict as the boy took more and more steps in my direction, and I involuntarily wrapped my arms around my lizard-like Pokémon, as if I could protect him by doing so. I knew that Snivy was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but when he was asleep, he just looked so defenseless; I couldn't help but feel a need to look after him.

I leaned upwards, so that I was no longer just lying on the ground, and used my legs to push myself backwards until my back hit the trunk of the tree that Snivy and I were resting under. My green Pokémon finally opened his brown eyes and looked up at me, probably aggravated with me for waking him up by moving around so much. I decided not to pay attention to him, as the strange boy was now standing a mere foot away from me.

My grip around Snivy tightened as the boy bent down to my eye level, a small smile gracing his lips. His dark aqua eyes sparkled with calm exuberance while he watched my much more angry expression. My face twisted into an all-out snarl as I spat out a few choice words at him. "I swear," I warned him in a low, aggressive tone, "if you even _think_ about touching me _or_ Snivy, then I will personally beat your ass into next week." Snivy chimed in with me, glaring daggers at the young male and roaring out his name proudly.

It probably didn't seem like much of a threat coming from a short, scrawny teenager and her small Pokémon. It was probably a bit of an unnecessary reaction, as well, but I couldn't help it. Threats and hostility simply come in my nature.

The boy's eyes widened slightly as I said this, and he stared at me dumbly for a moment or two, mouth hung open as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed it again, this time with a larger grin on his face than before. He covered his mouth with his hand while his body quivered with silent laughter.

For some reason, this irked me even more, and I felt my teeth grinding together almost painfully. I sucked in a breath and puffed out my chest while glaring at him with the magnitude equivalent to that of an angry Bouffalant. "What is your prob-?"

I ceased in my talking as the boy leaned forward, furling his arms around my shoulders before I could even so much as blink, leaving poor Snivy stuck between our bodies, yelling out little cries for help.

The boy's hand held the back of my head while he nestled his face into my shoulder. His hair was itching my cheek. He said something softly, so softly that I couldn't even hear what he said over the rushing blood in my ears.

I could feel my mouth dry, my palms became sweaty, my arms felt as if they were Jell-O, and… _Damn_. My face felt so freaking _hot_. It felt as if it may melt into a pool of magma and I would become a Slugma.

And then it finally hit me: I was _blushing_. My shoulder stiffened and I began to retract from the boy's touch. _He actually made me_ _blush_. The hair on the back of my neck prickled, and I felt my eyes narrow into little gray slits.

_That ass!_

This realization was finally gave me strength to get past my initial shock and manage to use both of my arms to push the strange boy away from me. He stumbled back on the grass slightly until he fell down into a sitting position. Snivy, in the meantime, managed to wiggle free from me and jump a safer distance away.

My eyes darted down to my little Pokémon worriedly; I could feel my anger growing, since Snivy was breathing so heavily, hacking small coughs onto the grass. Was he _trying_ to suffocate my Pokémon and sexually harass me at the same time?

A deep, shaking breath entered in through my mouth; I was getting ready to bellow out at the boy in the hissy fit of a life time.

But then, when I looked back up from Snivy, ready to yell and scream and possibly even beat the jerk until he cried, I felt the blood slowly drain from my face. My fists, which I had unconsciously formed in my hysterics, began to unclench. The angered expression on my face began to melt into astonishment.

The wind blew at my short hair, blurring the greenery in my vision with little strands of red, stirring the leaves on the trees until their tops began to dance in a festival of sun and sky. The daffodils let go of their seeds while the other flowers swayed steadily with the breeze.

I stared at the field that stood before me in all of its beautiful, lonesome glory.

It was as if he had never been there.

I'll be frank. I don't normally write. In fact, I've never written in a diary in my entire life. Literature has simply always been a very small part in my life. I only read when I'm extremely bored, and I've never written without being told to by someone else before.

But that boy, his touch, it felt so real. Maybe a little _too_ real. It felt as if he was there, and yet he wasn't. It was so strange; I thought for a moment that I might have imagined it all, and then I looked down at Snivy again, and he looks just as disoriented as I am, looking around the field cautiously and sticking close to my leg. Not one step that he takes isn't guarded. All that I was able to do for him was pick him up and stroke the top of his little green head, trying my best to calm him, and let my mind wander back to the strange green haired boy, who may or may not have been real.

Were we just imagining him? Or was he really there? I'm not sure what to think.

But one thing is for sure: If that guy is real, I'm going to find him.

And when I do, he's going to be carrying around a black eye for quite some time.

**_~Noelle_**


	2. Second Encounter

**OK, here we go! Second chapter! The weird stuff is over now; characters should be strictly **_**in**_** character (loose term considering that what I have to work with comes from a video game) from here on. If they **_**aren't**_** in character, give me a theoretical beat down and tell me what I did wrong. Don't be afraid; I can take criticism.**

**(On a side note, I got my flower names mixed up last chapter. Daffodils were supposed to be Dandelions. The funny thing is, I actually did originally put them down as dandelions, but then at the end of the chapter, I thought that I was wrong and went back to change it. My bad.)**

**Please, leave a review when you're finished reading. I don't care if you're telling me that I'm the worst author to ever walk the Earth; I just want **_**some**_** form of feedback. However, I do want to thank my first few followers for reading this story. You guys totally made my day!**

**And just a quick question: what are those things that Elesa wears on her head? Hair extensions? Headphones? I really have no clue. **_**Anybody that can give me an answer to this conundrum **_**(hehe... I like that word)**_** gets a virtual cookie. **_

**Wow. Long Author's Note. Sorry about that!**

**Disclaimer: Pokémon and all of the characters in Pokémon (N, Touko, Touya, etc.) belong to Game Freak, not me. I only own Noelle.**

**Second Encounter**

_**Early autumn; 10:45 PM; Accumula Town**_

It turned out that on that day with the green haired boy, I was actually very close to Accumula town; so close, in fact, that Snivy and I reached the location after only a thirty minute hike.

This is my third day in this dreadfully boring town, and I'm planning on leaving first thing tomorrow.

But before I do leave, I think that it would be in everyone's best interest if I shared my accounts of the day with you. I have to say that it _was_ rather… _eventful_.

I was standing in the isle of a market store located somewhere in the middle of Accumula. My hand rested under my chin while I examined the prices of the soup cans that were lined up neatly on the shelf in front of me.

Like I said, I'm planning to leave tomorrow morning, so I was trying to stock up on supplies and such.

I bit my lip in aggravation, stuck between two of the cans. I picked both up. Tomato or potato. Honestly, potato soup has always been one of my favorites, but it was a heck of a lot more expensive than the tomato soup, and I'd hate to spend too much money.

I sighed heavily, glancing miserably around at the other people roaming the isle. I blame them and their presence for the fact that I couldn't decide on anything. All of their loud talking was making it nearly impossible for me to think.

My eyes wandered back down to Snivy, who was casually leaning on one of the shelves with a bored expression on his face. "Sorry, bud," I told him, putting the can of potato soup back on the shelf with a bit of reluctance. "We'll be out of here soon; I just need to find some rice, and then we'll go out and do something fun."

If there _is_ anything fun to do here.

Snivy merely nodded his head apathetically and began to walk along with me as I stuffed the can into my nearly full basket. The tiny green Pokémon glanced up at me every now and then, as if he was making sure that I hadn't run off on him, and stuck as close to my side as possible.

I couldn't help but smile at him; I couldn't have chosen a better partner.

We rounded the corner isle, getting ready to find the grains section when I saw to little blurs of orange and blue coming directly at me.

"Osha!"

"Pig!"

It was too late for me to move out of the way. The blue blur, which I soon found to be an Oshawott, landed square on my face, knocking me back onto the floor with a horrible thud. This didn't stop the Pokémon, however, as it only used my face as a springboard to propel itself further away from its pursuer, a Tepig that came barreling right over my body as if it wasn't even there.

I lay there on the floor, my arms spread about in a display of shock, and body twitching from pain that erupted in both my abdomen _and_ head. My previously gathered food was spilled all over the floor in a horrible mess, but I didn't bother picking it up. I just stayed there on the ground, wondering what the hell had just happened.

I could hear two sets of feet running right by me, and I dizzily raised my head to look at them. A girl with a fluffy ponytail and stunning blue eyes, calling for her Tepig, and a boy with chocolaty eyes and matching untamed hair, yelling at his Oshawott.

I dropped my head back to the ground with a groan and rested it there while Snivy poked at me with his foot, trying to get me to stand up.

I didn't want to stand up.

I just wanted some sleep.

But Snivy wouldn't accept that; he finally used a vine whip to force me up off of the floor and began picking up the spilled groceries with his tiny hands, stuffing them back into the basket. I just watched him for a few seconds, still a little shocked from what had happened, but then I smoothed out my ruffled clothes and put a packet of instant ramen in the basket, just as my Pokémon had. "Thanks buddy."

Snivy merely looked at me and nodded with a "Sni." His way of saying "You're welcome."

We left the store not long after that, walking towards the center of town. With the bag of groceries in my hand, I kept looking all around me, trying to find something interesting to do, like I told Snivy that I would. However, it soon became apparent to me that Accumula town is pretty much as boring as Nuvema. And that's pretty boring.

Then again, it could just be me. As a girl that was raised around Ferris wheels, musicals, sporting events, and roller coasters, I'm a little spoiled in the entertainment department. Not much really impresses me.

I could see from the corner of my eyes that Snivy wasn't that impressed, either. His intelligent brown eyes held nothing but boredom, and he kept looking from side to side, as if trying to find something that would entertain him.

And that's what made me feel bad. I had promised him a good time, filled with fun and excitement, and here we were, awkwardly walking through town while I was lugging around a ton of groceries.

I sighed miserably, and my head dropped down, disappointed with myself. "I am _such_ a jerk," I muttered disdainfully.

I felt a tug from the bottom of my jacket, and turned my head to the side. Snivy was trying to get my attention, pointing out to our right while talking rapidly. I blinked a few times before following his small, stubby hand, and found myself something promising. People were rushing around a raised platform where a tall green haired man with a very slim face wearing some sort of robe that made him look a little fat gave a loud, emphasized, and dramatic-sounding speech that…

_Wait a minute._

I stopped and stared at him.

_Thin_. _Tall_. _**Green**__ hair_.

_Oh dear Zekrom! He looks like an older, sleazier version of that guy out in the field!_

I motioned to Snivy to follow me as I made my way into the crowd of people, pushing my way to the front with an angry stomp to my step. I stopped walking when there was only one person left standing in front of me. Snivy climbed up onto my shoulder while I began to listen.

"… Occurring every day, right under our noses! Pokémon everywhere can never be kept safe so long as they are bound to their human counterparts!" He emphasized this by making dramatic movements with his arms and sweeping his eyes over the crowd with a chilling look. I felt myself becoming revolted when his eyes swept past me. This wasn't my guy.

His eyes were a deep red color.

I refused to so much as look at him, even though his gaze left me after only a moment. "I ask of you all: please think for the sake of your Pokémon! End this shameful misuse, and release them!"

My eyes snapped back up to him. His red eyes held a determined blaze that I couldn't help but admire a little bit. He looked so sure of himself, in his cause, like it could be the only correct option that there was. It actually made me think that he might have been _right_ for a moment.

And then his words sunk in.

_Release Pokémon?_ Why would I release Snivy? He's pretty much the only living being on this planet that I won't threaten or get angry at every ten seconds.

My eyes narrowed slightly, and my hand balled into fists around my grocery bags. I could feel Snivy's eyes on me, watching with anticipation for my reaction, and decided to simply play it cool. Getting angry wouldn't solve anything, and I didn't want to embarrass Snivy. I forced my shoulder muscles to relax, but kept my fists clenched. I needed _some_ way to keep myself in control.

People all around me began to murmur and whisper to one another, stealing glances at the strange man before us, and he seemed to notice this. He outstretched his arms towards the crowd, as if to depict his loss. "Please, listen to reason!" His tone sounded more demanding than anything. It made my blood boil. "There is no other option: if you think of yourselves as friends of Pokémon, then set them free! Pokémon liberation is the only way!"

I snorted at him. "Let's get out of here, Snivy. I'm not listening to any more of this crap."

"Sni!" Snivy turned his nose away from the man in a rather arrogant manner and nodded to me, a signal to go ahead and leave. I took this moment to turn around and begin to push my way out of the crowd and leave when the man's voice stopped me.

"Look at this trainer right here!" He called out. "This is _exactly_ what I'm talking about! These people cannot even _listen_ to reason; he refuses to so much as stand here and consider what I'm saying!"

I froze in my tracks and stared at the pavement, red suddenly clouding my vision. Snivy was warning me in a low tone. I knew what he was saying, even if I couldn't understand the Pokémon language. _Don't turn around, Noelle_, he was telling me. _This guy isn't worth it. Just walk away and pretend it never happened._

But I couldn't help it. I couldn't just _walk away _while that guy was smack-talking me. That would have been a blow to my pride!

I spun around in one fluent motion and stormed up to the platform that the man was standing on. The few people that were in my way cleared out rather quickly, sensing my rage, allowing me easy access. Once I made it to the foot of the platform, I glared up at the man's conceited little grin as best as I could. I pursed my lips. "I, quite frankly, sir, am getting sick and tired of two things in particular."

The man raised his eyebrows, grinning at my challenging tone. "And what would that be, young man?"

"The first thing," I said, "is that about once a month, I have to explain to _some_ idiot that I am _not_ a guy. I don't even _look_ that masculine!" His grin twisted into what might have looked like amusement, but I could see in his eyes that he was annoyed with me for taking his spotlight. _Jack ass deserved it_.

His hollow, fake chuckle sounded as he looked down upon me with superior look in his eyes. "My dearest apologies, young _lady_." I got the chills when he said this. The look in his eye held no sign of surprise, only mockery. My face flushed when I realized something.

He knew! He was just looking for an excuse to get some stupid trainer back up there and argue with him!

My next thought startled me. _Did… Did I just call myself stupid?_

The man's face lost all sense of humor. "But I would hope that this second point of yours is more relevant to the subject at hand."

I could feel Snivy pulling at the back of my hair, trying to get me to pull out of this, but I ignored him, even as he started calling to me in a hushed tone. I can handle my own fights.

"The second thing that's annoying me is _you_," My lips contorted into a jagged frown as I said this and I pointed an accusing finger at him. His expression remained calm. This only angered me further. "You keep preaching on and on about how all trainers are mean and abusive to their Pokémon, but that's a load of crap and you know it!"

His eyebrow twitched slightly. "Coming from someone who won't even listen when her own Pokémon is trying to give a warning," he indicated my Snivy, who had stopped pulling at the back of my hair to turn his nose up at the man like the little snob that I know he secretly is. The man's red eyes narrowed at my Pokémon's action, obviously offended. "I would say that this puts my case to a close."

My ears began to burn.

Why could I think of nothing else to throw back at him all of a sudden?

I stared at the man angrily, my mouth slightly agape as I stumbled along for a good argument. A few words incoherently stumbled out of my mouth with no purpose but for me to fill the empty space of shame. "I… You can't…" Finally, I just snapped and turned my back to him hurriedly. "I don't need to be wasting my time here!"

And just like the petulant coward that I am, I rushed off and out of the crowd before I could hear the man's reply. On my shoulder, Snivy sighed in defeat, but I paid him no mind. It wasn't time to dwell on a loss, but to get back to the Pokémon center. I was expecting a letter from home, anyway.

The walk seemed to take forever, my feet weighing heavily on the ground from my new defeat, but I quickened my pace, not wanting Snivy to think that I was upset.

Like hell, I was going to apologize, anyway.

It took about a fifteen minute walk before I was able to make it back to my target, and I graciously walked in when the glass doors to the building slid open, welcoming both me and Snivy. The first place I went to was the front desk.

Nurse Joy #2 stood at the desk, looking at a few things, possibly work-related, on her computer, but when she noticed me approaching, she quickly exited and looked over at me with bright blue eyes and a soft smile. "Hello, Noelle," she greeted me kindly.

"Hi... Nurse Joy." It was still a little strange for me, knowing that she had a sister in pretty much every city in the entire Unova region that looked exactly like her. It just seemed a little too convenient that I didn't have to learn a new name or face every time I went to a Pokémon center, especially since I had known the Nurse Joy from Nimbasa City fairly well from taking my brother's Petilil to be healed up a few times.

I still attempted to return the smile, though. Snivy greeted her with the wave of the hand. "Hey, has that letter come in yet?"

She nodded enthusiastically and ducked under her desk for a moment, but then popped up again with a white envelope in her hands. She held it out to me, kind smile never wavering a moment. "It came in through the Pidove delivery system just an hour ago," she told me.

Afterwards, I had rushed to the room I rented and set my grocery bags on the floor before heading straight for my bed. I pressed my back onto the mattress as Snivy hopped off of my shoulder and onto the ground. He began to roam our small amount of space as I observed the envelope.

_Noelle_

My name was written on the front, in the neat, unmistakable handwriting of my little brother, Kiyo. The sloppy letters brought a small smile to my face. My fingers tore the top of the paper and I reached inside, grabbing two pieces of paper. I raised my eyebrows and looked at the first paper, holding the smaller, more square-shaped one, behind it.

_Noelle,_

_Mom and Dad and I are all very glad that you finally made it to Nuvema and got your first Pokémon! It must be very exciting to have Snivy by your side; just like me with Petilil. We are also very proud of you for making it to Accumula Town. Honestly, Mom and Dad thought that you had been eaten by a Beartic by now, but don't worry; I kept telling them that they were wrong. If anything was to get _that_ mad at you by now, it would be another human, right?_

_It was nice hearing from you, and I wish you luck on your trip to Striaton City; I hear that it is a very rough trail, and that you'll need to be very careful or you might get lost again._

_You should send a picture of yourself and Snivy back to us sometime. And be sure to be back home by the time your birthday rolls back around, got it?_

_Love you, sis,_

_Kiyo_

My smile never left my lips, and I shoved the letter back behind the second piece of paper that I held. It was a photograph.

Mom and Dad stood side-by-side in the kitchen, their arms draped around one another's shoulders with bright smiles lighting their faces up. The dark circles under their eyes were noticeable, but the relief that I saw in them was defiantly real. It seems that they really must have been worried. Perhaps they really _had_ thought that a Beartic ate me. The thought coaxed an amused sigh out of my mouth.

Kiyo sat in the chair in front of them, back slouched slightly, but with his trusty Petilil held in his lap. His red hair seemed a bit curlier than normal, and his silvery eyes look brighter than I had ever seen them, too. He looked truly happy for me.

Seeing the smile on my face, Snivy tilted his head to the side. I waved him over and he jumped on top of the bed while I slanted the picture to the side to show him, and he stared at it for a moment before his tiny green hand lifted and pointed at Kiyo.

"Sni."

I explained to him that the people in the picture were my family, although he was probably able to guess this fairly easily. Snivy has this sort of air of intelligence around him that I've never really seen with any other Pokémon before, not even Kiyo's Petilil, and so it often makes me wonder just what he's saying a lot of the time, since he would never ask the obvious.

After a little while of listening to me talk, Snivy nodded and hopped off of the bed, walking towards my discarded backpack. He rummaged through it silently while I wondered what he was doing, but only a moment later, he popped back out holding a pen in one hand and a piece of paper in another.

I smiled and took the objects from him when he came back, scribbling a quick letter in reply to my family.

When I was finished writing, I stood up and stretched out my limbs, surprised when I looked over at my clock and found that it was already past five. I'd killed a lot more time than I'd originally thought.

I neatly folded my letter and placed it on the stand next to my bed and then looked down at Snivy. "You wanna get something to eat?"

After a nod of approval, I grabbed some sandwich materials and we exited the rented room and walked down the hall until we hit the stairway that led to the main portion of the Pokémon center, following the wall down to the section to where chairs and tables were laid out for the people that paid for room and board (or waiting for their injured Pokémon to be healed) to eat at.

I laid out my sandwich supplies on the marble table and made our food. We both settled with lettuce, tomato, and pickles on wheat. I really wish that I was able to make some Pokémon food for Snivy, since it would be more adequate and healthy for him, but unfortunately, I have absolutely no experience in making the stuff, and I doubt that I would be successful if I tried. He'll just have to settle with people chow for now.

He mostly stayed focused on his food, not bothering to look up from his sandwich, and I couldn't help but notice that he really enjoyed vegetables and fruits. He absolutely abhors meats, though, but I suppose that it can be explained by the fact that he's a grass-type. Not that I can really blame him, though, since I personally don't eat any meats either.

Pondering on this subject, I took a bite out of my food and looked up at the ceiling, right above the front counter that the Nurse Joy #2 was working at.

_I hope that he'll enjoy those berries that I packed for him._

_No, _I corrected myself_, he _better_ enjoy the berries that I packed for him. Those things cost me a load of money!_

The bell that signaled that someone had entered the center rang, but I didn't bother to look over at who it was. It was probably a new addition to the Noob Trainers Association, anyway. There seems to be a lot of us around this area.

_Then again, I don't even think that the price really mattered; I just wanted to get him a special treat after all of his hard work in the past week. I'm pretty sure that some edible food will brighten both of our spirits while we're on the road, anyway._

I paused in my eating, tilting my head to the side. Just when did I start thinking that I'd need food to cheer me up when I'm traveling? I've been dreaming about this ever since I was a little kid, so you'd think that-

"Sni! Snivy, sniv, sni!" I looked back down at my Pokémon, surprised by his sudden outburst. His brown eyes were wider than I had ever seen them, and he was jumping around on the table, pointing in the direction of the front desk.

I blinked at him, not sure what to make of this. After the week that I've been with him, I'd never seen my little Pokémon this energetic; it was a little weird. He's usually so calm.

"Snivy, what are you…?" I finally followed the direction of his arm to see exactly what he was throwing such a huge fuss over.

My eyes froze on the form. For the second time that day, I saw a head of long green hair that fit on top of the body of a tall and extremely thin male.

And this time, I could see a pasty skin tone and a black hat.

My chair screeched under me, and I could feel Snivy begin to climb up on my shoulder as my feet pounded against the floor, carrying me towards my target.

He was standing there harmlessly, just chatting it up with Ms. Loopy-Loops, handing her a tiny red pokéball and hiding his face shyly. He truly looked like an innocent bystander. It still infuriates me to think about it.

Nurse Joy #2 walked away with the pokéball, no doubt taking it away to heal the Pokémon inside of it, and after a moment of just standing there, the boy turned his head in my direction, as if he could feel my eyes burning into the back of his skull. As my feet brought me closer to him, he looked around him in all directions.

_Oh, you're not getting away that easily, jerk-wad._

When I reached him, he stared at me with this nearly expressionless face that I knew was there to cover up his fear of my wrath, and blinked. "I'm sorry," he said in an uncomfortable, tight tone. "But can I help y-"

His sentence was cut off by my left hook. The punch caught him completely off guard, and he stumbled backwards, against the counter, before he stood there, massaging his jaw with a bewildered look on his face.

I'd punched him so hard that my knuckles burned a little, but I could already feel the tension leave my body. It felt pretty good to release some of that pent up anger, even if he was so tall that my fist almost completely lost all power by the time I'd hit him.

Still tending to his injured jaw with a look of pain, his dark blue eyes wound over to my lighter gray ones. "W-" He cut himself off when he opened his mouth; obviously, it hurt him to so much as talk right now. It wasn't a black eye, but it was close enough. "What was that for?" He asked me, a perplexed look quickly overcoming the pain that had previously dominated his features.

No yelling? Not even a trace of anger? The _nerve_ of this guy!

I put my hands on my hips, ignoring the look of shock I had received from Snivy that told me that I had gone too far. "That was for suffocating my Pokémon _and_ harassing me at the same time, asshole!"

His face shifted in revulsion. "I would never hurt a Pokémon." He clearly either didn't bother to deny or just couldn't care less about the harassment part.

"Don't play dumb with me!" I made another fist and put it in the air between us threateningly to demonstrate my anger. "I'd recognize that hair style from miles away!" Snivy spoke angrily, too, his voice playing out a harsh tone.

The boy was looking more at my Pokémon than me. "I don't what you're talking about," he said, his eyes skimming back to me for a moment before going back to the small green creature on my shoulder. "I've never seen either of you in my entire life." He hesitated for a moment, but then continued. "Except at that gathering today, but I'm sure that everyone in town knows you after-"

I stopped him before he could go any farther on the subject. "Do NOT bring that up!" I'm sure that my face was glowing a bright red. It sure felt warm enough. He was there. He'd seen that. _Damn_. "The point I'm trying to make is that I saw you three days ago, out in the woods, and don't you _dare_ try to deny it again!"

He simply cradled his jaw in his hands and turned his face away from me guardedly, curling his shoulders around himself in the process. When he didn't say anything to me, I ground my teeth together and got ready to yell or slap some sense into him when my Snivy burst into a rant that I would probably never be able to understand. He spoke in his own little language for a long time, moving his tiny arms slightly in the process.

The boy's eyes flickered over to him as he spoke, watching Snivy closely until he finally finished in his speech and crossed his arms over his chest. The boy blinked at him, and then spoke in a quiet, uncertain tone, but did not turn back into my direction or move from his position. "Well, I'm sure that isn't possible. I've never been out on Route 1 in the first place; I came here from the north just yesterday."

What scared me was that he actually looked like he was having a conversation with my Pokémon. I looked between the boy and then back to my tiny green friend as they exchanged more words, but I didn't pay attention to what either of them was saying or doing. I just watched as they… talked. Like that guy had absolutely no problems with understanding Snivy in the least.

I think that I'm steadily going insane. All I need now was for Snivy to whisk away my brother's Petilil, riding off into the sunset atop a flying Rapadash.

And that didn't even sound like a good idea. The flames on the Rapadash's back would probably burn those two grass-types to a crisp.

I shook the stupid thought out of my head (the guy was probably just talking to himself, the poor, deluded soul) and paid closer attention to the boy pretending to speaking with the Pokémon on my shoulder. He had now moved from his more guarded position, facing Snivy and speaking with a relaxed demeanor.

It seemed like they had changed subject while I was spacing out.

"You mean that she hasn't named you?"

Lucky guess. Lots of trainers don't give their Pokémon nicknames.

This time, I was the one to turn my body slightly, pushing the shoulder that Snivy was taking refuge on to an angle where he couldn't see it. "And so what if I haven't named him?" I asked defensively. "Snivy doesn't mind."

The boy's eyes flickered over to my shoulder, but when he realized that my Pokémon was now out of his range, he looked down at me almost unwillingly and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it seems to me that Snivy wishes that you had named him; otherwise, it makes him feel like he's being grouped together with all the other Snivy in Unova. He told me so."

I crossed my arms. "Oh, so he _told_ you?" I laughed bitterly, and I'm sure that if looks could kill, then the one I gave him would have made him spontaneously combust.

The strange boy didn't seem to notice my sarcasm. "Of course," he replied. "He also told me that you-" He cut himself off, probably thinking better of what he was about to say. "Never mind."

I crossed my arms over my chest, and Snivy peaked over my shoulder to glare at the boy. "So _now_ what did Snivy say?"

He hesitated before continuing. "He also says that you get angry much too easily and that you're not that bright."

My face scrunched up in distaste and my face became red with anger. I cracked my knuckles menacingly. "_Why, you_-"

My sentence was interrupted as Snivy leapt off my shoulder, at the feet of the young man. He then proceeded to yelled at him in his own tongue for a while, hardly stopping to rest for a breath. It was quite remarkable, actually. I think he was defending me.

The boy's dark blue eyes widened at my Pokémon's sudden outburst, and just stood there, waiting for him to finish speaking, as if he was actually listening to him. When Snivy finished saying whatever, he looked a little uncomfortable. It took him a moment to reply. "Well, that's what you say now," he said in a quiet voice, "but what about when you actually get to know her? Are you certain that she won't get mad at you or even harm you eventually?"

My eyes twitched angrily, and I bent down to pick my little buddy off the ground just as he was beginning to say something else to the boy. "Well," I told him, "Snivy here's pretty much the only living creature outside of my family that I know that doesn't constantly grate my nerves. But even if he eventually _does_, he's my bud. It's not like I'll hit him or anything." I the tiny green Pokémon's head bobbed up and down in agreement and he smiled smugly.

"Then why did you hit _me_?" I noticed for the first time that he had stopped rubbing his jaw. There was a large red mark there.

"I only hit people that deserve it," my eyes narrowed at him. "And you, sir, are an asshole."

The boy looked rather taken aback by my comment, eyebrows rising, and mouth hanging slightly open. I smiled arrogantly at his stupor, and I could tell that he was just about to say something when a voice interrupted our little chat.

"Mr. Harmonia!" Snivy leaped out of my arms at the sudden noise and I turned my head to the side to see Nurse Joy #2 holding out a pokéball to the green-haired boy with a smile. "I've just healed your Purrloin, and it should be free of all injuries now!"

The green haired teen turned to her and, looking rather uncomfortable, took the Pokéball from her, but not without murmuring a quick "thank you" first.

The moment Nurse Joy #2 was out of sight again, the boy attempted to escape by ignoring me and walking right past me, but I caught him by the sleeve of his jacket and kept him from going any farther. "And just where do you think you're going, _Mr. Harmonia_?"

He looked back down at me. "I would prefer it if you _didn't_ prod fun at my surname." He frowned as he said this, but I, on the other hand, found myself grinning stupidly.

"Now whatever gave you the idea that I was making fun of it?" I teased him. "Huh, _Mr. Harmonia_?" With the way he was looking at me, you'd think that he didn't know what the word "joking" meant.

'Mr. Harmonia' sighed, obviously perplexed by my sudden change of attitude, and looked over at the clock hanging over the counter. His dark blue eyes wandered back to me after determining the time. "If you must, just call me N. Otherwise please don't speak to me at all."

I whistled at _his_ attitude change and smiled smugly up at his face. "N, eh?" I chuckled. "What's that supposed to stand for? Ne… Na…" I stumbled, trying to come up with an insult to throw at him that started with the letter, but very few came to mind. "… Nasty?" I offered the word weakly, but the joke had already fallen flat.

"_Very mature_." The boy bent down, and for a moment I thought that he was going to pull the random hugging stunt that he did while we were in the field the other day, but then I realized that he was much too close to the ground for that, and found that he was petting Snivy, who was watching his moves with every ounce of caution as a fire-type at a water park. I was about to slap his hand away and tell him to back the hell off when he spoke again. "It stands for nothing of importance."

It took a moment for the sentence to set into my mind, and then I burst into a mad laughing fit at what, now that I look back on it, was a really, _really_ lame joke. "'Nothing of Importance,'" I wheezed out between laughs. "Boy, would I _love_ to meet your parents!" I pushed him roughly on the shoulder, partially because I was having so much fun laughing, and partially to get him to stop touching my Pokémon.

Seriously man, you were starting to give me the creeps because of the way you kept looking at Snivy.

'N' frowned at me when I pushed his shoulder and stood up after giving a small wave to Snivy. He then turned back to me with a taut expression. He just frowned down at me for a moment, eyebrows scrunched together as if he was attempting to solve some sort of puzzle.

I scowled at him in response. "Do you need something, or I am I just so amazingly beautiful that you can't take your eyes off of me?"

The sarcastic jab rolled off my tongue with ease, but N took no notice of my sharp tone and shook his head. He turned his head slightly, as if trying to get a better look at me, and then turned around. And walked away.

_Just like that._

I was so stunned by his sudden departure that I didn't have any time to throw another insult at him before he left the Pokémon center. What a disappointment.

After that episode, Snivy and I headed back to our table to eat. Every once in a while, I would snort and talk about how rude that N guy was, and how I didn't give him the proper beating that he deserved. In response, Snivy had sighed amusedly and began to pay more attention to his food.

I smiled fondly at the little guy, feeling grateful that I finally had someone to talk to other than my family members, and looked around the Pokémon Center while finishing up my sandwich. I watched the clock for a while before spotting a mirror a little ways off to our side, and watched our reflection out of the corner of my eyes, taking note of what an odd pair we make.

In a lot of ways, Snivy and I couldn't be more different. He's always smart and observant while I always sit around, acting like my petulant self and having no idea what's going on despite how I always claim that I do. And he's so much more level-headed then I am. Not to mention that he's got the ego the size of a Wailord while I'm as humble as a Celebi.

But, when I look at us from a certain angle, we couldn't be any more similar, either. Neither of us gets extremely excited over anything particular very easily, and whenever we're happy, we're happy in a calm, collected kind of way. We won't eat any meats and neither of us is really that social, but we manage to get along rather well despite this obstacle that lies in our path. And we always try to help each other out.

I guess that you could say that Snivy and I are each other's' Espeon and Umbreon: different, yet the same. Always contradicting, yet similar. Different sides of the mirror.

With this thought in mind, I keep my eyes on the mirror, but speak. "Hey, Snivy?"

My little green Pokémon's head turns in my direction to show that he has my attention. "Sni."

"What… What do you say about 'Espejo'?" Before he had time to reply or ask what I was talking about, I turned my head to him and continued on. "It's Spanish for 'mirror'. What do you think about that for a name? I could call you 'Espe' for short." He blinked and stared at me with his mouth forming a round "O" shape, and I could feel my face begin to redden with embarrassment, so I turned it away. "You don't have to take that name if you don't want, though. I don't want to have to stick you with something that you don't like."

He blinked one more time, as if to make sure that I was actually serious, and then the astonishment left his face and he smiled, bobbing his head up and down enthusiastically.

I looked at him in surprise, not expecting such a reaction from him. "You mean you like it?"

Another nod of the head. "Sni!"

I smiled boyishly at him and reached over, petting the top of his head. "Well then, _Espe_," I told him with more fondness in my voice than I can ever remember using in my entire life. "You better finish eating; we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow morning."

We managed to pull through the rest of the day rather quickly. I got on to a PC and used the mirroring camera to get a picture of Espe and me for Kiyo. Once printed out, I stuffed it in the envelope with my letter and dropped it off at the front desk to Nurse Joy for delivery. I then proceed to pack up the rest of my things with Espe's help.

And that brings me to now, almost eleven at night.

I'm sitting on top of my bed now, writing in this journal, although I'm not exactly sure why it suddenly became so important that I write in here. I just saw the papers from my first entry sticking out of my bag and figured that I'd continue, I guess.

Espejo is curled up on the pillow, his chest moving up and down rhythmically. His yellow eyelids are closed over his eyes, and there is a smile on his face. He fell asleep the moment that we finished packing our things up.

I'm not completely sure, but I think that he was more pleased that I came up with a name for him than the actual name itself. He's been a lot happier than he was last week, when I first found him.

"_Well, it seems to me that Snivy wishes that you had named him; otherwise, it makes him feel like he's being grouped together with all the other Snivy in Unova. He told me so."_

Could N have been right? Did Espe really just want a name? N certainly may have been a jerk and possibly crazy, but it seems like he might have a little common sense in that noggin of his.

Whatever the case, I'm glad that I at least got the chance to make Sni- … I mean, Espejo, this happy. I've never been really good with communicating or… you know, sharing feelings or anything, but I think that this was a good enough step to show Espe that I don't just see him as some sort of tool or something. It feels nice to finally be building up our friendship.

And since N was mentioned in, like two paragraphs above: I'm still pretty bummed out that I didn't get to beat the crap out of him like I'd hoped. I guess that I kind of got distracted what with our sudden conversation about him hugging me out of nowhere a few days ago and then playing dumb.

Seriously, what's wrong with that guy? Is he some sort of psychopath? Next time I see him, I should beat him twice as hard as I was originally planning on for distracting me.

Whatever. I guess that I should be getting to bed right about now, and…

Damn it, Espejo! You're hogging the _entire_ _pillow_ to yourself! Now I have to go and wake you up, you little… _**Ugh!**_

Gotta go.

_**~Noelle**_


End file.
